Editorial: Investing in workforce pays off in jobs gain

Battle Creek received a major return on our community's investment Wednesday in the form of hundreds of jobs and a new factory, evidence that continued focus on education, workforce preparation and economic development can secure a better future for all of us.

Denso International America Inc. will invest about $105 million and add 266 jobs at its facility in the Fort Custer Industrial Park. Cosma International, new to the area, will spend about $162 million to open a facility in Battle Creek and employ up to 572 people.

This is in addition to Cosma parent company Magna International Inc.'s plan to build a robotic paint line and injection molding factory in a Delta Township south of Lansing.

For those who believe in American manufacturing, the news couldn't be better. In spite of evidence to the contrary, some policymakers, particularly those from non-manufacturing states, have been slow to realize that "Made in America" is more than a quaint slogan, but a value statement.

Globalization, blamed for the drain of manufacturing jobs, is coming full circle as companies learn that cost savings from outsourcing production are becoming less significant and that the United States is in a position to compete for jobs.

When it comes to deciding where to build factories, corporations weigh several factors: total costs, including shipping and real estate; supply chain efficiency and infrastructure; quality, price and availability of labor; proximity to customers and suppliers; taxes and incentives; and external risks.

Battle Creek Unlimited CEO Karl Dehn and his team have continued a long tradition of promoting our advantages in these areas and nurturing good relationships between local governments and companies, a factor Denso cited in its decision to expand in Battle Creek.

Our challenge is to build on this success. How?

Economists of all stripes point to a robust pipeline of skilled workers as the essential ingredient of a strong and growing economy. This is both a strength - and a threat.

Strong partnerships between BCU, their tenants and Kellogg Community College have helped to continue our track record of ensuring that companies and find the skills they need.

But years of pessimism about manufacturing and bias for college preparation tracks in high schools have hurt recruitment into the trades. Many kids don't necessarily see a bright future, particularly those for whom college may seem out of reach.

Community and educational leaders need to promote the opportunities right here in our region. Further, local leaders need to lobby loudly for further investments in education.

It's serendipitous that on the day of this announcement, the top story on the Enquirer's front page was about how Michiganders want to see more investment in early education. That's precisely the right strategy.

The global competition that really matters is not on manufacturing output, but investment in education. A report released in August by the Center for American Progress finds that half of U.S. children get no early childhood education, and we have no national strategy to increase enrollment.

That has to change. And again, local educators in Battle Creek and Calhoun County are leading the charge with its Early Childhood Connections project.

As we celebrate those new jobs, it's important that as a community we recognize and further support the strategies and partnerships that helped to attract them and can drive future growth.

The investment does, indeed, pay off.

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Editorial: Investing in workforce pays off in jobs gain

Battle Creek received a major return on our community's investment Wednesday in the form of hundreds of jobs and a new factory, evidence that continued focus on education, workforce preparation and